Meet the partners: EIT Food

EIT Food: Catalysing Agrifood Innovation and Skill Development in TAURUS

As a leading European initiative dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the agrifood sector, EIT Food is a cornerstone partner in the TAURUS project, driving communication, dissemination, and long-term sustainability efforts. Established in 2017 as part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and based in Heverlee, Belgium, EIT Food’s mission is to create a sustainable and future-proof food system that delivers healthy and high-quality food for all.

EIT Food’s extensive network is a significant asset to TAURUS, connecting industry giants, innovative startups, research centers, and universities across the food value chain. Bolstered by EIT Food South’s regional focus, it forms the largest worldwide network in the food sector, covering all European countries, with a network of 600 entities, including 400 SMEs and around 4000 potential students.

In TAURUS, IT Food leads efforts on communication, dissemination, exploitation, scalability and sustainability” for both the first and second periods of the project. Their specific contributions include:

• Communication & Dissemination Strategy: EIT Food leads the development and implementation of the Dynamic Communication Outreach Book, defining a lean and dynamic strategy to raise awareness and visibility for TAURUS across regional, national, and European ecosystems. This includes engaging stakeholders through webinars, info days, and leveraging partner networks.
• Sustainability and Exploitation: EIT Food is charged with defining TAURUS post-project exploitation efforts to ensure sustainability and scalability. This involves exploring a long-term public-private partnership model and identifying market opportunities for TAURUS’s exploitable assets.
• Accreditation and Curriculum Development: EIT Food will officially accredit users upon successful completion of their tailored training experience in Module 2, ensuring formal recognition of newly acquired skills. They also contribute to defining the training program and creating new training courses.

EIT Food’s deep involvement in initiatives like I-RESTART, MiCred, Geek4Food, FoSSNet, Skills4Future, Girls Go Circular, EntreComp Synergies, and Entrepreneurship 4 All, as well as the foundational EIT Food Competency Framework, underscores their commitment to addressing skill gaps and driving innovation in the agrifood sector. Their role in TAURUS ensures that the project’s impact extends beyond its duration, contributing to a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food sector in Europe.

EIT Food SOUTH: Uncovering Agrifood Needs and Shaping Policy in TAURUS

Food SOUTH, based in Madrid and Bilbao, Spain, is a crucial partner in the TAURUS project, specifically leading the comprehensive analysis of challenges and needs within the European agrifood manufacturing industry. As a pivotal regional hub within the EIT Food network, EIT Food South is dedicated to driving agrifood innovation and entrepreneurship in Southern Europe, serving as a central point for collaboration among industry leaders, startups, research institutions, and universities.

EIT Food South’s primary role in TAURUS is to lead Work Package 2, “Analysis of EU Gaps and Needs in the Agrifood Manufacturing Industry that Prevent them Transitioning to Ind.4.0 and Ind.5.0”. This task aims to thoroughly understand the pain points, needs, and challenges that hinder companies from adopting Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 principles.

Key contributions from EIT Food South include:

• Comprehensive Needs Mapping: EIT Food South leads the “Mapping of TAURUS EU gaps towards industry 4.0-5.0 in the agrifood sector”. This involves extensive data collection through desk research, quantitative surveys, and qualitative interviews and focus groups with over 50 SMEs, 100 employees, and various other public and industry stakeholders.
• Profiling and Segmentation: EIT Food South leads the “Segmentation, Clustering and Profiling of European Agrifood Industry, Workers and potential Employees”. The goal is to define company and individual profiles (categorized as Movers, Testers, Explorers, and Traditionals) based on digital maturity, skills, and needs, which will then feed the TAURUS Talent Accelerator Platform to enable tailored training and guidance.
• Impact Assessment on Policy Making: EIT Food South takes the lead in the “Impact assessment on policy making” task. This involves analyzing the long-term strategic impact of TAURUS and implementing workshops with policymakers and regulators to provide contributions and recommendations for future policies related to workforce reskilling and Industry 5.0/Agriculture 5.0 transitions.

EIT Food South, through its strategic initiatives and strong regional focus, plays a crucial role in advancing the goals of EIT Food, ensuring that Southern Europe remains at the forefront of agrifood innovation and sustainability. Their work in TAURUS will ensure that the solutions developed are grounded in a deep understanding of actual industry needs and contribute to relevant policy development.